The start of the Arms race started when the Manhattan Project commenced in 1939 when America decided to make the first Nuclear Weapon. Although lead by America it was supported by the United Kingdom and Canada. The detonation of the first Bomb was at the Trinity test site in New Mexico and this test confirmed that this was the most dangerous weapon in the world. On August 6, 1945 America dropped the first bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima and just three days late another bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. The two bombs killed around 150,000 people straight away and 125,000 were injured and another 60,000 died later from their injuries or their radiation sickness.Within five years 275,000 people had died from these two bombs and the US had shown the power and the ability for mass destruction in such a short time. In all attempts for the US to keep the production of the bombs a secret Russian spies had been in the project and word soon got back to Stalin and his production of Russian Nuclear weapons had started.
By this stage the arms race had started both powers had started the mass production of nuclear weapons. The arms race lead to both sides trying to make the biggest and most devastating weapons which then lead to making of the Hydrogen Bomb and on November 1952 America detonated ‘Mike’ which was the code name for their tests of the Hydrogen bomb. The reason for the arms race was so the fear of America having the upper hand if it came down to war or the need for Nuclear weapons. Whilst in this period of the arms race, atomic energy was also being developed for other uses. The first nuclear power plant was built in the US in 1957. They also used radioactive isotope for Medical and biological research to diagnose and treat illness. Both sides thought that they needed to produce as many atomic weapons as possible so no side could have the upper hand. By this stage in the Cold War and Arms Race we had entered a time in which is labeled MAD which is Mutually Assured Destruction which is a security policy which if one side were to launch a nuclear attack the other would be as devastating leading to destruction. During this time period of MAD both countries were on edge and always watching each other and this then lead to the whole world been on edge because the two big super powers who were essentially at war had such big weapons and could be used at any moment. Although this time period of MAD and the Nuclear arms race between the USSR and the USA no one got hurt it lead to worldwide fear and chaos. Source 1
This cartoon was done by a British political cartoonist Leslie Gilbert Illingworth. The cartoon depicts the leader of the Soviet Union, Nikita Khrushchev and the president of the United States, John F. Kennedy, arm wrestling. This cartoon was posted in October 1962, right after the Cuban Missile Crisis ended, much to the relief of people worldwide. This was created to show the tensions that still exist between the Soviet Union and the United States, and how fragile the relationship between the two world powers really was. It also shows the two powers arm wrestling for world dominance.
Source 2
“The nuclear arms race is like two sworn enemies standing waist deep in gasoline, one with three matches, the other with five.” – Carl Sagan
This quote was said by Carl Sagan who was a very well-known person at this time as well as been one of the most advanced scientist. This source is good because it is not just one sides view it really is summing up how the rest of the world feel about the two super powers developing nuclear weapons. This source is good because he is commenting on the danger and he is obviously very experienced in nuclear technology and he has sensed how much could go wrong with this threat of a nuclear war. The value of the source is the context because at this time in the world the arms race was heating up and for such a well-known scientist to speak out against the government and to say how bad an idea of this is was a big moment.
Source 3
"The deadly arms race, and the huge resources it absorbs, have too long overshadowed all else we must do. We must prevent the arms race from spreading to new nations, to new nuclear powers and to the reaches of outer space."- John F. Kennedy
This quote was said by the President at the time John F. Kennedy at the State of the Union Address in January 30, 1961. This quote is his view on how the nuclear arms race is getting out of control and is getting so big it can’t be stopped. He says that it is getting so big other nations want to get involved and if everyone is armed the world is destined to be ruined and head to disaster.
Source 4
This source is a visual representation to show each powers stockpile of Nuclear weapons and gives an idea of the time period that the arms race went over as well as how many atomic weapons were been produce by the powers. This is a good source because it is a clear visual of the arms race and sums it up. The benefit of a source like this is that it is equal to both sides and really shows how the arms race played out.
Source 5
“The unleashed power of the atom has changed everything save our modes of thinking, and we thus drift toward unparalleled catastrophe.”- Albert Einstein
This was said by Albert Einstein in 1950 when he publically came out and gave his view on the use of Nuclear weapons. This was significant as he was one of the most influential men in the world at the time and in 1950 the arms race was still in its earl years. This warning is interesting because of this time and it realty was a warning to the US president that this is a very dangerous game
Source 6
This source was a book written by Martin J. Sherwin that discusses reasons for the use of the ‘bomb’ and also goes through each presidents and USSR leader’s reasons for the arms race and this source is useful because it discusses both viewpoints but its limitation would have to be that it still an US book and still is heavily influenced by the US.
Question One “Cold War? Heck, it was a hot war!” (Robert McNamara, US Secretary of Defence 1961 – 1968) To what extent do you agree with Robert McNamara’s statement that it was a ‘hot war’?
Robert McNamara’s words in 1961 were true to an extent but on a whole the Cold War was a Cold War. This war could of been seen as hot because of how much took place in the period we know as the Cold War, some of these events would be things like the Korean War, Vietnam War, the Space Race and the Nuclear Arms Race. Another argument could be that the world was so close to Nuclear disaster and the world lived in fear of a Nuclear war which would have devastating effect. The Cold War was a Cold War because these two powers in conflict never did come into direct military conflict and this is the main reason for it not been a hot war. This quote said by Margaret Thatcher sums up why the Cold War was cold in this 10 word quote “ Ronald Reagan won the Cold War without firing a shot”. This quote by the UK PM is why the Cold War isn't the Hot War and that is because this war was never going to be won by war as that would lead to disaster to instead the cold war was made up of lots of little wins. So Robert McNamara’s quote was only true to an extent because on a whole the Cold War was not very Hot and very cold.
Question two: Why is the Cold War worth remembering?
The Cold War is worth remembering as it was a series of major events that took place from the end of World War Two to the late 1980’s and even early 1990’s. During this time lots of events happened that shaped the world and things were achieved such as the development of advanced nuclear weapons as well as the space race which put the first man on the moon. In this time the world was also split into to two, one side with the USSR and the other with the US this then lead to conflict all over the world because of this split. The Cold War also had a effect on many people in many countries as people from all over the world were involved as other countries were involved as well as the USSR and the US. It was also the time where well known people were made such as leaders of nations. So in collusion the Cold War is worth remembering because it shaped the world we know today and it was also such a large and public conflict as well as having an effect on the whole world.
Bibliography
Biblio details:
Roleff, Tamara L. The Atom Bomb. San Diego, Calif.: Greenhaven Press, 2000. Print.
Notes:
A good book that goes into detail on America and the Atomic bomb in the cold war. This book is just an American view of the Bomb and the arms race and doesn’t really give any Russian view.
Biblio details:
Lown, B. Prescription for Survival : A Doctor's Journey to End Nuclear Madness
Notes:
A view from an American Nobel prize winner and tells the story of his fight against the outbreak of nuclear war. He touches on how close we really came to a Nuclear war and the events leading up to it.
This source is not as detailed as other ones but it is helpful because it is a timeline of events that lead the arms race and covers both sides actions and reactions from the end of the Second World War to the end of the Cold War.
This source starts off with a video of a short clip about the arms race in the cold war and then tells us about the late events of World War two and then summarises the events of the arms race in the cold war.
The start of the Arms race started when the Manhattan Project commenced in 1939 when America decided to make the first Nuclear Weapon. Although lead by America it was supported by the United Kingdom and Canada. The detonation of the first Bomb was at the Trinity test site in New Mexico and this test confirmed that this was the most dangerous weapon in the world. On August 6, 1945 America dropped the first bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima and just three days late another bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. The two bombs killed around 150,000 people straight away and 125,000 were injured and another 60,000 died later from their injuries or their radiation sickness.Within five years 275,000 people had died from these two bombs and the US had shown the power and the ability for mass destruction in such a short time. In all attempts for the US to keep the production of the bombs a secret Russian spies had been in the project and word soon got back to Stalin and his production of Russian Nuclear weapons had started.
By this stage the arms race had started both powers had started the mass production of nuclear weapons. The arms race lead to both sides trying to make the biggest and most devastating weapons which then lead to making of the Hydrogen Bomb and on November 1952 America detonated ‘Mike’ which was the code name for their tests of the Hydrogen bomb. The reason for the arms race was so the fear of America having the upper hand if it came down to war or the need for Nuclear weapons. Whilst in this period of the arms race, atomic energy was also being developed for other uses. The first nuclear power plant was built in the US in 1957. They also used radioactive isotope for Medical and biological research to diagnose and treat illness. Both sides thought that they needed to produce as many atomic weapons as possible so no side could have the upper hand. By this stage in the Cold War and Arms Race we had entered a time in which is labeled MAD which is Mutually Assured Destruction which is a security policy which if one side were to launch a nuclear attack the other would be as devastating leading to destruction. During this time period of MAD both countries were on edge and always watching each other and this then lead to the whole world been on edge because the two big super powers who were essentially at war had such big weapons and could be used at any moment. Although this time period of MAD and the Nuclear arms race between the USSR and the USA no one got hurt it lead to worldwide fear and chaos.
Source 1
This cartoon was done by a British political cartoonist Leslie Gilbert Illingworth. The cartoon depicts the leader of the Soviet Union, Nikita Khrushchev and the president of the United States, John F. Kennedy, arm wrestling. This cartoon was posted in October 1962, right after the Cuban Missile Crisis ended, much to the relief of people worldwide. This was created to show the tensions that still exist between the Soviet Union and the United States, and how fragile the relationship between the two world powers really was. It also shows the two powers arm wrestling for world dominance.
Source 2
“The nuclear arms race is like two sworn enemies standing waist deep in gasoline, one with three matches, the other with five.” – Carl Sagan
This quote was said by Carl Sagan who was a very well-known person at this time as well as been one of the most advanced scientist. This source is good because it is not just one sides view it really is summing up how the rest of the world feel about the two super powers developing nuclear weapons. This source is good because he is commenting on the danger and he is obviously very experienced in nuclear technology and he has sensed how much could go wrong with this threat of a nuclear war. The value of the source is the context because at this time in the world the arms race was heating up and for such a well-known scientist to speak out against the government and to say how bad an idea of this is was a big moment.
Source 3
"The deadly arms race, and the huge resources it absorbs, have too long overshadowed all else we must do. We must prevent the arms race from spreading to new nations, to new nuclear powers and to the reaches of outer space."- John F. Kennedy
This quote was said by the President at the time John F. Kennedy at the State of the Union Address in January 30, 1961. This quote is his view on how the nuclear arms race is getting out of control and is getting so big it can’t be stopped. He says that it is getting so big other nations want to get involved and if everyone is armed the world is destined to be ruined and head to disaster.
Source 4
This source is a visual representation to show each powers stockpile of Nuclear weapons and gives an idea of the time period that the arms race went over as well as how many atomic weapons were been produce by the powers. This is a good source because it is a clear visual of the arms race and sums it up. The benefit of a source like this is that it is equal to both sides and really shows how the arms race played out.
Source 5
“The unleashed power of the atom has changed everything save our modes of thinking, and we thus drift toward unparalleled catastrophe.”- Albert Einstein
This was said by Albert Einstein in 1950 when he publically came out and gave his view on the use of Nuclear weapons. This was significant as he was one of the most influential men in the world at the time and in 1950 the arms race was still in its earl years. This warning is interesting because of this time and it realty was a warning to the US president that this is a very dangerous game
Source 6
This source was a book written by Martin J. Sherwin that discusses reasons for the use of the ‘bomb’ and also goes through each presidents and USSR leader’s reasons for the arms race and this source is useful because it discusses both viewpoints but its limitation would have to be that it still an US book and still is heavily influenced by the US.
Part 2
Cold War Timeline:https://www.timetoast.com/timelines/the-cold-war-timeline-e9de5c14-1d77-494b-a7f6-a13d3e679b2e
Part 3
Question One“Cold War? Heck, it was a hot war!” (Robert McNamara, US Secretary of Defence 1961 – 1968)
To what extent do you agree with Robert McNamara’s statement that it was a ‘hot war’?
Robert McNamara’s words in 1961 were true to an extent but on a whole the Cold War was a Cold War. This war could of been seen as hot because of how much took place in the period we know as the Cold War, some of these events would be things like the Korean War, Vietnam War, the Space Race and the Nuclear Arms Race. Another argument could be that the world was so close to Nuclear disaster and the world lived in fear of a Nuclear war which would have devastating effect. The Cold War was a Cold War because these two powers in conflict never did come into direct military conflict and this is the main reason for it not been a hot war. This quote said by Margaret Thatcher sums up why the Cold War was cold in this 10 word quote “ Ronald Reagan won the Cold War without firing a shot”. This quote by the UK PM is why the Cold War isn't the Hot War and that is because this war was never going to be won by war as that would lead to disaster to instead the cold war was made up of lots of little wins. So Robert McNamara’s quote was only true to an extent because on a whole the Cold War was not very Hot and very cold.
Question two:
Why is the Cold War worth remembering?
The Cold War is worth remembering as it was a series of major events that took place from the end of World War Two to the late 1980’s and even early 1990’s. During this time lots of events happened that shaped the world and things were achieved such as the development of advanced nuclear weapons as well as the space race which put the first man on the moon. In this time the world was also split into to two, one side with the USSR and the other with the US this then lead to conflict all over the world because of this split. The Cold War also had a effect on many people in many countries as people from all over the world were involved as other countries were involved as well as the USSR and the US. It was also the time where well known people were made such as leaders of nations. So in collusion the Cold War is worth remembering because it shaped the world we know today and it was also such a large and public conflict as well as having an effect on the whole world.
Bibliography
race_space_race/revision/1/ [Accessed 8 Aug. 2016].